MARION, Ky. – With First Region All A Classic champion Carlisle County visiting Rocket Arena Saturday afternoon, the Lady Rockets were firing on all cylinders and dispatched the Lady Comets 55-38.
The game was tied at 12 after eight minutes before Crittenden posted a big scoring run in the second period when junior Taylor Guess scored 9 and eighth-grader Elliot Evans got 7 off the bench. From there, CCHS’s defense kept Carlisle at bay while the Rocket girls knocked down a half dozen threes to post a quality win over the First Region’s bast small-school team.
Guess finished with 19 and senior Grace Driskill added 10. Natalie Boone and Anna Boone each dropped a pair of three-pointers en route to 8 points apiece.
Crittenden improved to 15-5 on the season while Carlisle dropped to 14-6. The Lady Rockets have won three in a row over Carlisle.
DAWSON SPRINGS, Ky. – Crittenden County started a bit sluggish in a matinee game at Dawson Springs Saturday afternoon, but when the Rockets got going it was all downhill en route to a 60-44 victory.
The Rocket energy level was missing in the first half and Dawson (2-18) matched them on the scoreboard at 21 at the break.
Leading scorer Travis Champion had a three-pointer in the first period and couple of baskets in the second, but came alive when CCHS got Dawson in a running game in the third period and Champion unloaded 10, Preston Morgeson and Trace Derrington scored 7 apiece and Tanner Beverly got all of his 5 points in that frame. Crittenden (10-10) outscored the hosts 29-11 in the frame and coasted in for the victory.
Champion finished with 22, Morgeson 15 and Derrington 10.
MADISONVILLE, Ky. – Crittenden County (14-5) was physically pushed around by Madisonville well before three Lady Rocket starters were out of the game. Shorthanded down the stretch and deep into its young bench, CCHS was virtually defenseless against the host Lady Maroons (15-5), who kept the pressure on and the accelerator mashed en route to posting a 73-50 victory Thursday.
Both teams came into the game ranked among the top four of KHSAA’s Second Region power rankings. The Lady Rockets had led the region in RPI until a recent skid that has seen them lose three of the last five games.
Somewhere in the exhaust of Madisonville’s statement win was Taylor Guess’s move into second place on the Lady Rockets’ all-time scoring list. She dropped 27 at Madisonville, surpassing 1970's era Lady Rocket Jeannie Hinchee on the girls’ scoring ledger. Hinchee is now No. 3 with 1,628 points. Guess, just a junior, has scored 1,650 in her career, and she is 175 points behind the school's top scorer in history, Cassidy Moss, who had 1,825 in a career that ended in 2017.
Barring any significant setback, Guess has a good shot at getting to the school's scoring summit this season. The Lady Rockets have nine regular-season games and the playoffs remaining and Guess averages 21 points per game. Had last season not been cut short due to the pandemic, she might already have broken the scoring record.
CCHS junior Natalie Boone had 15 points, including four three-pointers; otherwise, the Lady Rocket supporting cast was a bit overmatched and provided just eight points at Madisonville.
Crittenden was unable to equal Madisonville’s physicality, allowing the Maroons to score at will through the lane. Quickness was also a factor as the Lady Maroons were able to beat the CCHS defense down the floor for some easy baskets. Still, the Lady Rockets managed to stay within striking distance until midway through the third period when foul trouble started to whittle away at the lineup.
CCHS trailed by eight at the half, but eighth-grade starter Anna Boone did not return to the court in after the break because of illness – which contributed to Crittenden’s unraveling. With three minutes left in the third quarter, the Lady Rockets were still within seven points, but two starters – Natalie Boone and Addie Hatfield – drew back to back fourth fouls and were replaced with subs for a time. By the end of the period, Madisonville led by 16, and it didn't get any better for CCHS in the fourth quarter. Boone and Hatfield eventually fouled out.
It was the first meeting between CCHS and MHS since March 2, 2020, when the Lady Maroons beat Crittenden in the Second Region Tournament.
MARION, Ky. – Crittenden County’s boys had Caldwell County on the ropes Tuesday night at Rocket Arena, but couldn’t pull the trigger in the final seconds, losing 65-61.
The Rockets trailed by 14 in the first half, but battled back and took a two-point lead with under three minutes to play. A couple of three pointers from the same spot on the left wing by Hayden Adamson and Travis Champion gave CCHS a chance in the final seconds. However, trailing by two, the Rockets turned the ball over in front court and Caldwell’s Jabrion Spikes went to the other end and scored a dunk at the buzzer to close it out.
With the loss, Crittenden County fell to 8-10 on the season. Caldwell County improved to 14-4 with its fourth straight win over the Rockets.
PRINCETON, Ky. – Caldwell County came from behind to beat the Lady Rockets 52-50 Tuesday at Princeton.
Lady Tiger freshman Katie Smiley caught a pass in the lane and sank a turnaround 12 footer at the buzzer to dash Crittenden’s hopes of a third straight win over Caldwell County (8-11).
Crittenden led by eight in the first half and by as many as five in the fourth period, but Caldwell’s Parris Gray sank a thee-pointer to tie it with less than a minute to go. Crittenden missed a potential go-ahead shot with 30 seconds left and failed to get the offensive rebound, setting up Smiley’s game-winner on the other end.
Crittenden eighth-grader Anna Boone scored a team-high and career-high 24 points, including five threes. The Lady Rockets fell to 14-4 on the season.
PADUCAH, Ky. – Crittenden County saw a first-half lead disappear in the third period and St. Mary held on down the stretch to beat the Rockets 50-47 Saturday afternoon in the Organ Donor Shootout at McCracken County.
The Rockets led 23-18 at the half, but the Vikings (9-9) scored 11 points at the foul line down the stretch as CCHS falls to 8-9 on the season.
Junior point guard Travis Champion scored 22 and junior guard Preston Morgeson added a dozen for the CCHS.
Crittenden County11233247 Paducah St. Mary7183450 CRITTENDEN – Morgeson 12, Champion 22, Adamson 5, Derrington 6, Cooksey 2, Yates, Davidson, Crider. FG 17. 3-pointers 4 (Morgeson, Champion, Adamson, Derrington). FT 9-18. ST. MARY – Willett 6, Fleming 13, Simms 18, Haas 8, Mikel 5. FG 14. 3-pointers 4 (Simms 2, Haas, Mikel). FT 18-21.
MARION, Ky. – Crittenden County swept a boys’ and girls’ basketball doubleheader Friday night at home against Livingston Central on senior night.
The Lady Rockets controlled their game from start to finish, dispatching Livingston 57-34 and sewing up the top seed for post-season Fifth District play. The CCHS girls are now 14-3 overall and 5-0 in league action.
Crittenden got 22 points from junior Taylor Guess and eighth-grader Anna Boone added 17 in a game where everyone on the bench got into the action.
Although CCHS led comfortably the entire way, Livingston made a third-quarter run to get the margin to about a dozen before CCHS streaked ahead by 24 in the fourth period.
Livingston fell to 5-9 on the season and is winless in four district games. The Lady Cardinals were led by freshman Emersyn Ramage with a dozen points and eighth-grader Hadley Hargrove had 11.
In the boys’ game, it was much the same as CCHS jumped ahead of an undermanned Livingston squad and built a double-digit advantage early. Soon after the second half was underway, Crittenden was farther ahead, by more than 20.
Livingston was playing without senior Max Downey, who had scored 45 in the teams’ last encounter at Smithland when CCHS eked out a win. Eighth-grade starter Logan Wring was injured in pregame warmups, leaving the Cardinals terribly shorthanded for the district matchup.
Crittenden was without senior Tanner Beverly, who was injured in a game earlier this week against Webster County. It took seven stitches to repair his lip.
Every senior available for the Rockets scored, and junior Preston Morgeson led the way with 18 points in his first game back from a two-game suspension levied for technical fouls in a previous outing. Travis Champion and Trace Derrington scored 15 apiece as Crittenden’s full-court pressure set the tempo out of the chute.
The Rockets improved to 8-8 overall and 3-2 in district play, which will ensure at least a second- or third-place finish in the regular-season standings. That will allow CCHS to avoid regional contender Lyon County in the opening round of the playoffs. Meanwhile, Livingston dropped to 2-12 on the season and 0-4 in the league.
There will be a high school basketball Fifth District doubleheader tonight at Rocket Arena with Crittenden County hosting Livingston Central.
Livingston Central (5-8, 0-3) will take on the Lady Rockets (13-3, 4-0) in the opening game. CCHS has won 11 straight games against the Lady Cardinals dating back to 2018 and the Rocket girls can wrap up the post-season’s top seed with a victory tonight. In their first matchup earlier this season, Crittenden came out on top by 20 at Smithland.
The Rockets (7-8, 2-2) will be looking to solidify at least a second- or third-place finish in the district with a win in tonight’s nightcap. Livingston Central (2-11, 0-3) has struggled this season with its only wins coming against Fort Campbell and Clarksville Christian. However, the last time these two teams met, Cardinal Max Downey dropped 45 points in a 9-point loss to CCHS. Rocket guard Travis Champion scored 36 in that game at Livingston.
Tipoff for the girls’ contest is 6pm. Tickets are available at TicketLeap. The game will also be broadcast on the NFHS Network.
MARION, Ky. – Despite not shooting well and being out-rebounded, Crittenden County’s girls won its 13th game Tuesday, beating Paducah Tilghman 51-45 at Rocket Arena.
The Lady Rockets fell behind early in the face of the Lady Tornado’s athletic defense, but turned a seven-point deficit around and grabbed the lead just before the half. CCHS took its first lead on a three-pointer by Elliot Evans. Then Grace Driskill and Taylor Guess scored consecutive buckets before Anna Boone nailed a trey for a 21-17 edge.
Crittenden led most of the second half, but Tilghman (9-7) managed to tie it at 38 then took a two-point advantage with less than five minutes to play. Lady Rocket Taylor Guess, who struggled from the field at times, got on track and scored nine points down the stretch to close out the win.
Driskill and Anna Boone carried CCHS's offense through the first half, scoring nine points apiece. They each finished in double figures and Guess led the Lady Rocket scoring with 19.
The Lady Rockets and Rockets host Livingston Central Friday in a district doubleheader at Rocket Arena.
CLINTON, Ky. – Crittenden County struggled to overcome serious foul trouble, but had enough fight in the fourth period to beat host Hickman County 67-66 Friday night.
The Rockets trailed by five early in the fourth period, but outscored the Falcons 18-12 down the stretch behind Travis Champion’s eight fourth-quarter points and four from Trace Derrington.
Crittenden (7-7) was whistled for 23 fouls in the game, but Hickman (4-10) drew just 14. The Falcons scored 23 of their points at the stripe while CCHS was 11-for-18 there.
Champion led all scores with 28 points. Crittenden was without it second-leading scorer, Preston Morgeson, who had a one-game suspension for receiving two technicals in the previous game.
EDDYVILLE, Ky. – Crittenden County lost a heartbreaker in overtime at Lyon County Thursday, spoiling the Rocket girls’ hopes of defending their Second Region All A Classic title.
The game was close the entire way and Crittenden took a one-point lead with 6 seconds left when eighth-grader Anna Boone dropped in two foul shots. However, Lyon got to the foul line itself with 0.9 on the clock and Calista Collins hit the back end of the double bonus to send the game into OT.
From there, Crittenden was scoreless and Lyon claimed a berth in the Second Region small-school championship game scheduled for Saturday against Livingston Central.
There were 49 fouls called in the game, and neither team shot well from the line nor the floor. CCHS made just 19 of 34 at the stripe.
Crittenden Co.924425555 Lyon County922405565 CRITTENDEN – Guess 24, N.Boone 17, A.Boone 5, Hatfield, Driskill 7, Evans 2, Hunt, McDaniel, Federico. FG 17. 3-pointers 2 (Guess, N.Boone). FT 19-34. Fouls 22. LYON – Cothum 7, Butler 6, Smith 8, Collins 18, Taylor 1, Holland 3, Defew 4, Perry 18, Co.Collins. FG 26. 3-pointers 3 (Perry 2, Holland). FT 10-24. Fouls 27.
Tanner Beverly (3) gets a steal. He finished with a career-high 13 points in the game.
Crittenden County was able to handle the full-court pressure better and played Lyon County a much closer game than it did a week ago at Eddyville. Still, the Rockets lost 75-63 in the opening round of the All A Classic at Marion.
It was an eight-point game much of the first half, but the Lyons pulled away just before halftime and took an 18-point lead into the break.
Lyon scored a wealth of points off an and-one basketball by Jackson Shoulders and a two technical free throws by Travis Perry during the 12-2 run. Crittenden’s Preston Morgeson had two first-half technicals and will have to sit out the next game.
Lyon led by as many as 29 in the second half, but the Rockets trimmed the margin late in the game.
Tanner Beverly had a career-high 13 points for the Rockets and Travis Champion led CCHS with 21.
The Lyons (8-4) advance to play Fort Campbell, which drew a first-round bye. Crittenden (6-7) will work to fill the week’s schedule. It has already picked up a game at Whitesville Trinity Saturday and is tentatively set to host Hopkins Central Friday.
Crittenden's Jaylin Tapp calls for the ball in the post during the second half Monday.
HOPKINSVILLE, Ky. – Highly favored Crittenden County took care of business Monday, beating University Heights Academy 53-39 at Hopkinsville and scripting the first chapter in what the Rocket girls hope will be an eighth Second Region All A Classic champion.
The Lady Rockets have won two straight regional All A titles and more than any other Second Region team since the small-school tournament began back in the early 1990s.
Crittenden (12-2) led at UHA from the jump and had the running clock rolling early in the second half. Every player on Coach Shannon Hodge’s bench got into the action and almost everyone scored.
Junior Taylor Guess led the way with 15 points and junior Natalie Boone scored 11, including three treys. The Lady Blazers (2-9) were launching long-range shots of their own. Seven of their nine field goals were from behind the arc.
The win sets up a rematch of two Fifth District rivals in the semifinal round of the small-school regional. Lyon County drew a first-round bye and will host the final two rounds of the tournament. Crittenden plays the Lyons in the late game Thursday.
“I expect it to be a heated battle from the get-go,” said coach Hodge about her team’s third matchup already this year against Lyon.
The Lady Rockets have beaten the Lyon girls 10 straight times, but Hodge is taking nothing for granted.
“Applying pressure on them is key and trying to contain their bigs,” Hodge said. “And we need to use our defense to create offense. When we do those type things, I feel really good about us.”
Lyon is 6-7. They’ve lost to CCHS 60-43 and 63-51 in meetings this season
MARION, Ky. – The Lady Rockets won for the 11th time in 13 outings this season, beating Murray 47-27 in the Western Kentucky Showcase, a 10-team basketball event at Rocket Arena in Marion.
Crittenden jumped ahead early, overcoming some sharp three-point shooting by the Lady Tigers. At the half, Crittenden had built a 22-point lead by draining some threes of their own and using good passing to beat the Murray zone defense.
In the second half, Crittenden kept up the defensive pressure, creating a number of turnovers and maintaining a large lead. Everyone of the CCHS bench got into the game.
Taylor Guess scored 18 and Natalie Boone a dozen. She had two threes.
MARION, Ky. - Junior Preston Morgeson got on track offensively in the second half and gave Crittenden County a spark that made things close down the stretch. However, the Rockets lost 51-42 to Mayfield Saturday in the opening game of the Western Kentucky Showcase, a 10-team basketball event at Rocket Arena.
Morgeson, who had scored just 10 points in the past four games combined, found the bench early against the Cardinals, charged with early fouls. He was scoreless in the first half, but dropped a team-high 15 over the last two periods to help erase a 14-point deficit.
Crittenden (6-6) had fallen behind early in the game with its offense sluggish out the chute, a problem it’s had often this season. Leading scorer Travis Champion was dogged by Mayfield’s defense and held to single-digit scoring for just the third time this season – the second time in two straight games. The sophomore point guard is averaging more than 20 points a game, but finished with just 9 against the Cards.
Morgeson helped close the gap in the second half and by the last two minutes Crittenden had scratched to within five points.
“We just couldn’t finish it,” said Morgeson, who was averaging about a dozen points a game until he’d fallen into a funk since hitting a game-winning shot against Whitley County during the Christmas tournament opener at Larue County.
“We dug ourselves a hole early. We just couldn’t score in the first half. Defensively, we hung around,” said CCHS skipper Denis Hodge. “Then Preston Morgeson got hot there in the second half. Of course he got two quick fouls early and didn’t play the rest of the first half, but when he got hot in the second half it got us right back in it.”
Mayfield (6-2), coached by Rocket basketball alumnus Payton Croft, took advantage of the foul disparity by getting to the line often, yet making just 10 of 22 at the stripe. That was a big factor though as CCHS was just 3-6 at the line.
After Lyon County raced out to a 22-5 lead early, there wasn’t any doubt about the outcome as it rolled to beating Crittenden County 79-41 Tuesday at Eddyville and improved to 2-0 in the Fifth District.
Still the Lyons (6-4, 2-0) kept pouring it on and CCHS continued to make mistakes. Soon the hosts were in command 40-8 before some of the bench players got in on the action and the running clock was applied.
Although the Lyons have lost four games, they are undefeated in Second Region play. Projected as the region’s No. 1 team, the Lyons have played a very difficult early-season schedule.
The Rockets fall to 6-5 overall and are now 2-1 in district play.
EDDYVILLE, Ky. – Natalie Boone was hot from the start as Crittenden County built a big lead then held off a late Lyon County flurry to win 60-43 and remain undefeated in Fifth District play this season.
Boone scored a career-high 26 points. She had 16 in the first half as Crittenden (10-2, 4-0) rolled out a comfortable lead en route to its 11th straight win over the Lyon girls.
After leading by a dozen at the half, CCHS forged ahead by 20 points in the third period, but went flat from the floor letting Lyon County get back into the game down the stretch. The Lady Rockets were scoreless for more than seven minutes in the final frame until Anna Boone sank a couple foul shots. Meanwhile Lyon (6-7, 1-2) had trimmed the lead to single digits.
Crittenden Co.14324960 Lyon County8203243 CRITTENDEN – Guess 19, N.Boone 26, A.Boone 5, Hatfield 8, Driskill 2, Evans. FG 21. 3-pointers 4 (N.Boone 3, Guess). FT 14-16. LYON – Cotham 2, Butler 2, Smith 14, Collins 16, Taylor 2, Perry 7, Defew. FG 17. 3-pointers none. FT 3-4.
Crittenden County’s basketball teams will be at Lyon County Tuesday night for a Fifth District doubleheader.
The Lady Rockets are 3-0 in district play this season and 9-2 overall. The CCHS girls have beaten Lyon County in their 10 past meetings dating back to 2018. Lyon’s girls are 6-6 overall and 1-1 in district action this season. Crittenden beat the Lyon girls 63-51 in their first meeting this season.
The Rockets are 6-4 overall and 2-0 in Fifth District play after beating both Livingston and Trigg in December. The Lyons are 5-4 overall and 1-0 in league playing altering beating Trigg by 23 last month. Lyon has not lost to a Second Region team this team and is the favorite to win the district and the region.
Crittenden has lost four straight to Lyon County. Its last win came at Rocket Arena in January 2020 when CCHS shot the lights out and beat the heavily favored Lyons. Otherwise, Crittenden has lost nine of its last 10 meetings against Lyon.
